Sample Task Order 3.A (FY23 Conference and Logistics).pdf

**Please note: This sample task order may be the basis for a task order that will be awarded under the Base IDIQ. Offerors are encouraged to price accordingly.

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

OFFICE OF EXPORT CONTROL COOPERATION (ISN/ECC)

EXBS SUPPORT SERVICES CONTRACT

Task Order Title: EXBS Logistics and Conference Support

Task Order Number: Sample Task Order 3

Statement of Work Date: February 21, 2023

1. Background

A. ISN/ECC manages the U.S. Government’s Export Control and Related Border Security

(EXBS) Program. EXBS helps to stem the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems, as well as irresponsible transfers of conventional weapons, by assisting countries with establishing effective strategic trade and border control systems meeting international standards. Thus, the primary intent of this Request for Proposal

(RFP) is to facilitate core EXBS objectives, including assisting EXBS partner countries with developing strategic trade control (STC) systems that meet international standards.

B. ISN/ECC requires a contractor to provide logistic support for the continued effective operation of training activities and conferences in both the United States and in ISN/ECC partner nations. Due to the ongoing fluctuations in in-person events and on-site travel during the pandemic, EXBS also requires a flexible conference support task order to support larger scale logistics requirements in addition to standard logistics support services for training deliveries, consultations, meetings, and partner country support.

2. Requirements

A. Purpose: ISN/ECC requires a flexible contracting vehicle to provide logistical support for international travel and training on behalf of our partner countries as well as larger conference logistics support for partner country engagements. Specifically, ISN/ECC requires a Contractor to facilitate USG-funded program travel and logistics support services in accordance with mission requirements by:

a. Paying travel vendors directly for transportation, lodging, and other allowable travel services provided in support of individual assignments.

b. Reimbursing individuals for direct travel expenses incurred in support of

ISN/ECC missions.

c. Facilitating program management and administrative oversight of program travel.

d. When needed, provide dedicated Support Personnel overseas to facilitate programmatic logistic needs in-country.

e. Providing comprehensive logistics support for all manger of EXBS training and partner country engagements, to include estimated six 100-person conferences with varying requirements.

Travel:

f. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that all personnel who will be required to travel outside the United States have a current and valid U.S.

passport. The Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining any visas required for travel to foreign countries under this contract.

g. The Government will reimburse the Contractor for the allowable travel costs incurred in performance of the contract in accordance with the Federal Travel

Regulations (FTR). In cases where the meal service is provided for the participants, the Contractor shall adjust the Per Diem rates accordingly.

h. The Contractor shall include a breakout of all authorized travel expenses as an attachment to its invoice. Travel must be directly related to and be required for performance of this contract.

i. In no event shall costs associated with employees commuting be reimbursable as a direct cost under this contract. Travel costs shall not be burdened with any indirect costs unless such burdening is consistent with

FAR 31 and the contractor's established or disclosed cost accounting practices. Any such burdening must be explained with supporting documentation.

j. On flights over 14 hours, the U.S. Government will reimburse per diem (i.e., housing and meals and incidental expenses (M&IE)) for an optional rest / preparation period up to 24 hours in route or upon arrival at the outbound destination. In lieu of a rest stop, the government will reimburse a day pass at a business class lounge. Government reimbursement for per diem will not exceed the dollar thresholds established in FTR.

k. For CONUS, travel and per diem charges are authorized for travel beyond a

50-mile radius of the Contractor employee's local place of performance whenever a task assignment requires work to be accomplished at a remote work site. No travel and per diem charges or associated labor charges for travel time shall be charged for work performed at the Contractor's local office or any other work site within a 50-mile radius of the contractor employee's local place of performance.

l. For travel where use of a personal automobile has been specifically authorized by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), reimbursement shall be computed on the basis of actual miles traveled from starting point to destination. Other related miscellaneous expenses, such as tolls and parking fees, incurred in the performance of tasks authorized under this contract, will be reimbursed. Car rentals require advance written approval by the COR and will be authorized only when consistent with good business practice and shall not exceed the actual cost of renting a compact automobile (maximum of one automobile for five contractor personnel), unless extenuating circumstances

(e.g., excess baggage) require other arrangements and subsequent COR approval is obtained.

B. Other Direct Costs (ODC): The Contractor will be required to procure additional supplies and services. Any supplies purchased will become government- owned.

Examples of situations where ODCs can be utilized are emergency medical and dental care for participants during domestic training, incidental supplies and services required to expedite overseas or domestic training, or exigent circumstances that require additional resources in complex overseas environments. All ODCs shall be approved by the COR in advance. ODC shall not be burdened with any indirect costs unless such burdening is consistent with FAR 31 and the Contractor's established or disclosed cost accounting practices. Any such burdening must be explained with supporting documentation.

C. Conference and Logistics Support Services: The Contractor will rely on its own expertise to provide logistics for senior policy exchanges, international visits, large conferences, and training events in the United States and overseas (referred to as

“Events” moving forward). Activities may include, but are not limited to, any of the following:

a. The Contractor will provide logistics support for six 100-person conferences to include virtual connectivity for hybrid attendance, catering, meeting room facilities, A/V equipment, printing, simultaneous interpretation and equipment, as well as other conference support logistics.

b.The Contractor will provide event registration, event management support, and hybrid attendance capabilities as needed for conferences and workshops;

c. The Contractor will provide round-trip international airfare to the United

States, consistent with Federal Acquisition Regulations, Federal Travel

Regulations and applicable State Department policies;

d. The Contractor will provide round trip international airfare from the United to overseas Event locations;

e. The Contractor will provide for one (1) excess bag and excess baggage fee per traveler;

f. The Contractor will provide meals and incidental expense costs for individuals attending Events at appropriate government per diem rates;

g. The Contractor will provide individuals attending Events a cash stipend;

h. The Contractor will provide lunch and coffee breaks for participants (to include trainers);

i. The Contractor will provide interpretation for Events;

j. The Contractor will provide medical and travel insurance for participants and interpreters;

k. The Contractor will provide airfare, lodging, and per diem for interpreters;

l. The Contractor will print training materials, presentations, or other documents needed by Event participants;

m. The Contractor will arrange appropriate lodging for Event participants;

n.The Contractor will arrange for appropriate conference room rental and supplies (presentation equipment, non-alcoholic beverages, as well as note pads, pens, etc.), for Event participants;

o.The Contractor will arrange for translation of documents and materials for

Event participants;

p. The Contractor will provide one (1) staff member to travel with Event participants to facilitate logistical arrangements;

q. The Contractor will provide transportation from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the airport for Event participants;

r. The Contractor will provide ground transportation services for Event participants for the duration of the Event.

s. The Contractor will provide full-time, EXBS-dedicated employees stationed overseas.

1. Location of employees to be determined by EXBS programmatic needs and Contractor ability to support

2. Country/countries to be supported to be determined by EXBS programmatic needs

D. All travel costs will be in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations, Federal

Travel Regulations and applicable State Department policies.

E. The total number of events will involve at least 40 partner countries. Overall costs estimates can be found in Attachment B – Proposed Events List. ISN/ECC expects

Offerors to price any FFP Labor costs to the level of effort described in that attachment.

F. For each event, ISN/ECC will complete an “EXBS Travel and Logistics Request form” and provide it to the Contractor for pricing. An example of this form is included as Attachment C – EXBS Travel and Logistics Request Form. Contractors are encouraged to provide alternate forms to facilitate the improvement of the logistics planning process.

G. With the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic, the ability to conduct events, trainings, consultations, and more virtually is paramount. Distance learning will be utilized wherever possible. In some situations, partner nations will be require new audio visual equipment/upgraded audio visual equipment in order to fully utilize distance learning and virtual meetings and consultations. This task order may be used to procure this equipment and ship to partner countries.

H. For each “EXBS Travel and Logistics Request form” that ISN/ECC submits, the

Contractor will submit a cost proposal including all applicable fees. Logistical arrangements may begin after obtaining written COR approval of the cost proposal.

I. The Contractor must be prepared to be flexible in implementing this task order.

Precise event locations for all deliveries are currently unavailable.

J. Key Personnel Categories: This effort will require a Program Manager and a Project

Manager in accordance with the Base Services IDIQ. The contractor may propose additional support personnel.

K. The Contractor may not recommend follow-on activities to event participants without express authorization from the COR. Examples of prohibited activities include, but are not limited to placing the Contractor’s logo on travel materials; advertising

Contractor services or touting Contractor past performance in presentations to, or conversations with, foreign participants; and initiating conversations with event participants to promote Contractor services.

L. Acceptance Criteria: The COR will review individual itineraries, tickets, and reservations for their completeness, accuracy, format, and acceptable content. The

Contractor shall correct any deficiencies within established program guidelines as directed by the COR and shall resubmit the deliverable item no later than a mutually-agreed upon date. The COR for this requirement must approve requests for correction of these deliverables which require exceptions to established program guidelines. The COR will also review all other deliverables under this requirement for completeness, accuracy, format, and acceptable content. The Contractor shall correct any deficiencies within established program guidelines as directed by the

COR and shall resubmit the deliverable item no later than a mutually-agreed upon date.

M. Quality Control Plan: The Contractor, not the U.S. Government, is responsible for providing quality control services that meet the performance standards set forth in this contract and under the IDIQ. The Contractor shall develop and maintain a Quality

Control Plan (QCP) for this task order.

a. The QCP shall enumerate well-defined and understood lines of authority, responsibility, and accountability for performing and monitoring work performed under this contract. The QCP shall list the quality control procedures (i.e., examinations, inspections, and audits) the Contractor shall employ to ensure the services conform to contract requirements and meet the mission and objective of the EXBS program. The frequency of the reviews and inspections shall be not less than semiannually. The COR shall be notified

(via e-mail) no less than seven (7) calendar days in advance of any planned

QC procedures being employed.

b. The Government will perform periodic inspections to ensure that the services conform to prescribed requirements. Quarterly program reviews by the

Government will include a discussion of quality, service, schedule, cost control, business relations, management and other important areas.

3. Deliverables

A. Monthly Status Report: The Contractor shall submit Monthly Status Reports

(MSRs) to the COR. Reports shall include at a minimum:

a. Use of funding including: funds expended to date; estimates of future expenditures by month; and an assessment of whether the remaining funds will be utilized by the end of the period of performance;

b. Track funding by the associated partner country, to include:

1. Funding invoiced to date per country;

2. Amount expected to be invoiced per country based off completed events;

3. Funding estimated to be spent on upcoming events;

4. Remaining funding after the above three totals are subtracted per country line;

c. Status of working with foreign government officials to identify participants;

d. Coordination of speakers and Event materials;

e. Securing Event venues;

f. Obtaining necessary audio/visual equipment to facilitate Events;

g. Securing required catering services;

h. Making necessary travel arrangements, to include airline tickets, hotel reservations, visas, and local ground transportation; and

i. Issues – description of any issues/problems encountered in task execution and a discussion of the steps taken (or that will be taken) to overcome the issue/problem in order to comply with all task terms and conditions specified in this Statement of Work and the Contractor’s proposal

j. The MSR shall provide information on work completed, work in progress and work outstanding, as well as highlighting cost, schedule and performance issues encountered or anticipated.

k. Submit a draft version of the Monthly Status Report within five (5) working days following each month to the COR. The COR will respond within five

(5) working days with comments. The Contractor shall incorporate the comments within five (5) working days. For final deliverables, the COR will either accept or reject them within five (5) working days of submission.

l. In the event of rejection, the COR will notify the Contractor in writing of the reasons for such rejection. Absence of notification will be construed as an acceptance.

B. Meetings and Teleconferences: The Contractor shall be responsible for scheduling and managing monthly teleconferences directed by the COR that are required in the performance of the contract. The Contractor shall be responsible for taking the meeting minutes. The Contractor shall create a template which shall be submitted to the COR for review, comment and approval five days before the first meeting. The

Contractor shall provide the meeting minutes to the COR within three (3) working days following the meeting or teleconference. The basic template should consist of the following information:

a. Date and time of the meeting;

b. The purpose of the meeting;

c. Program components discussed;

d. The meeting lead or chair’s name;

e. Assigned action items;

f. Decisions made.

C. Quality Control Deliverable: Within thirty (30) calendar days of completing a QC inspection the Contractor shall provide (via e-mail) a written report to the COR and

CO, documenting the performance and completion of such inspection/review, describing the scope of the work related to the reviewed operations and any identified deficiencies. If any deficiencies were identified during this inspection/review, the

Contractor shall also submit with their report a written Corrective Action Plan identifying specific, measurable corrective action with an associated implementation timeline to the COR and CO. The Contractor shall ensure timely implementation of all corrective action(s) and track the completion of such corrective actions in their monthly program management report.

4. Place of Performance

Events will take place at various locations in the United States and in ISN/ECC partner countries.

Periodic planning and follow-up sessions will be required from time to time at ISN/ECC’s

Washington, DC office, as deemed necessary by the COR or the Program Managers.

5. Period of Performance

Base Year: TBD

Option Year 1: TBD

Option Year 2: TBD

Option Year 3: TBD

Option Year 4: TBD

6. Performance Standards

The Contractor shall adhere to the following minimum performance standards in executing this task order:

Performance

Objective

Performance

Standard/Thresholds

Frequency of

Surveillance

Effective communication

Contractor responds to

GTM/COR emails and phone calls within one (1) working day

Periodic communication

Monthly Status

Report

Draft report provided to the

COR within five (5) working days of the end of the month

95% of the time

Respond to COR comments within five (5) working days of receipt 95% of the time

Monthly

Meeting and teleconference summaries

Draft report provided to the

COR within three (3) working days 95% of the time.

Draft report is 95% accurate.

After every meeting or teleconference

Quality Control and

Inspections

Plan – within thirty (30) calendar days of contract award.

Inspections – within thirty

(30) calendar days of completing such inspection

Via e-mail a written report to the COR and CO, documenting the completion of such inspection, describing the scope and any identified deficiencies.

Periodic communication

Attachments:

1. Attachment B – Proposed Events List